“No Pressure No Diamonds”

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

Pressure. Discipline. Pain. These are not fun words that I gravitate toward or look forward to. I am sure you can relate. Yet, these words express a part of life that we all experience in some form or another. When hardships hit, how do you respond? When I feel pain or face difficulty, I want to run the other way.

Five years ago, my life was thrown off course with a spinal tumor, resulting in intense physical pain that I literally could not run from. Yet, I had and still have a choice in how to respond. I could relearn to walk or give up and spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I could be trained by the daily chronic pain or let it control me. I am often tempted to choose the latter, but little by little I have seen God use the physical pain for my spiritual growth and maturity. By applying spiritual and physical discipline to my life, choosing to not be swayed by pain and emotions, I can mature and experience peace.

When I was in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove the tumor, a friend shared a story that has helped me in my perspective toward my trials. She asked, “Do you know how diamonds are made?”

I had not really thought much about it before but learned that diamonds are formed from high heat and pressure from the earth’s surface. When volcanos erupt the volcanic rock goes deep down into the earth’s surface and forms carbonated rock. When scientists took these particles and chipped away at them, diamonds were found. Precious, beautiful, expensive diamonds.

I am certainly not a scientist, and I am sure there are more technical explanations than this one, but this simple explanation has helped me through some challenging moments. Diamonds are made from extreme heat and, at first glance, look like black rocks or coal. It takes time and work to uncover the shiny diamonds that we value. This reminds me of our lives with Christ.

 We do not just one day snap our fingers and become faithful people. Faithfulness takes the daily training of Bible study, prayer, and spending time with other Christians (Acts 2:42-47). These things, combined with trials and perseverance, can make us shine with radiance!

After my spine surgery, I did not just get up and walk. I had no feeling in my right hip and leg. It took daily training to get back the use of my hip and leg and continues to take daily training. At times I would fall, but I kept getting up. This has been a very slow process.

While I was in the hospital for one month, the first thing I learned to do was to bend my knee. I had three hours of occupational and physical therapy a day, doing exercises such as ankle rolls and knee raises while sitting. These exercises took all my energy, but slowly increased my mobility. I progressed from raising my knee while sitting, to raising it while standing, to raising my knee to step over blocks (representing a curb). I began to see slow progress. Eventually, I learned how to walk using a walker. From there, I progressed to taking a one-mile walk a day, without assistance. Now, five years later, I walk two to three miles a day. This process feels to me much like the pressure and time needed to form valuable diamonds for me. Diamonds of faith, which are of greater worth than gold! (1 Peter 1:8)

A scientist does not just snap figures to find a diamond; a diamond must be formed through extreme heat and pressure. It takes work to get to the diamond, and a diamond only stays shiny through cleaning and regular care.

What about you? How is God training and disciplining you so you can look back and see the progress and the beauty formed from your trials?

About the author:

Maria McHargue, along with her husband, Cash, has led the South Coastal Region of The Boston Church of Christ since 2018. They have two children, ages 9 and 10.

Maria became a Christian in 2001 in Los Angeles. She has her Master’s of Social Work and Clinical license (LCISW). Maria worked as a foster care social worker before going into the full-time ministry.

Cash and Maria were in the full-time ministry in Baltimore, MD, and several regions in the Boston Church. They also led the church in Madrid, Spain, yet their time in Spain was cut short after Maria had a medical emergency. Through all the ups and downs, Maria has fought to stay faithful to God and thankful for the lessons learned.